Smartphones: Handy DIY Tools

Make space on your tool belt for a new tool

Smart phones are the new essential tool for home repair and improvement. Learn about must-have apps for DIYers that save money and produce information instantly.

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine:November 2011

Overview

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Protect it!

Slip your phone into a
leather belt loop case.
Or armor it with a full
wraparound-style case
with rubber plugs to
seal the openings.

If you think a smartphone
is a high-tech
toy, you’re only partly
right. Aside from
being a lot of fun, a
smartphone can be a
powerful, practical
DIY tool. Once you
have one, you might
find that it’s as essential
for DIY as your
tape measure or cordless
drill. The pros
already use them. So should you.

Consult an expert anywhere

Editor Ken Collier
has a dumb phone
and lives in
Minnesota. His son
has a smartphone
and lives in New
York. When his son
needed a wrench for
his plumbing project,
Ken explained what
to look for at the
store. Pretty soon his
son called and told
Ken to check his
e-mail. He had sent
a photo of the
wrench right from
his smartphone
while he was at the
store. Ken confirmed
he had indeed found
the right wrench. You
too can use a smartphone
to get help.
(But don’t call Ken.)
The plumbing project
was a complete
success.

Compare prices instantly

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Scan the bar code

Fill the frame
with the bar
code and
center the
red line
through the
center of the
code. The phone
will focus, shoot and
pull up the Web site for instant shopping.

Load a free “bar code”
application (app) on your
phone. Then open the
app and scan the product’s
bar code right there
in the store. The app
instantly checks for the lowest price at other local
stores as well as online sellers. If you find a lower
price online, don’t forget to factor in shipping costs.

Record strange car sounds

The next time your
car or appliances
make strange
sounds, make a
recording with your
smartphone and
send it to the
mechanic or repair
technician. They'll be
better equipped to
give you an accurate
diagnosis.

Holster it!

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Keep the phone safe and clean

Carry the phone on your
belt in a leather holster
(Nite Ize CCSL-03-01
Clip Case) available through our affiliation with Amazon.com or in
an armored case
(OtterBox Defender
Case), also available at Amazon.com.

Send a photo for a quote

Got a plumbing, roofing or concrete problem or
a leak you don’t want to fix yourself? Shoot a
photo, e-mail it off to the contractor and ask
for a price quote or time-to-repair estimate.

Android vs. iPhone

Android vs. iPhone

Android
LIKE: More Android
apps are FREE.
LIKE: More phone
brands and models to
choose from.
LIKE: More carriers
and usage plans.
LIKE: Most Android
phones allow you to
pop in a fresh battery
when you run low.
DISLIKE: Fewer apps
available for Android.
DISLIKE: The Android
interface is different on
each manufacturer’s
phone.

iPhone
LIKE: The interface is
easier to learn to use
and seems more
intuitive.
LIKE: Many more
apps available.
DISLIKE: Limited
carriers and plans.
DISLIKE: Can’t snap
in a fresh battery. But
you can attach a
“rescue” battery pack
to the back of the
phone.

Protect the screen

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Trace and cut

To make your own screen protector, place the material over the phone, trace the outline, then cut the shape with a razor knife.

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Peel and stick

Peel the backing as you position the material on the screen.

Every phone store sells screen protectors. But the
best ones are made from the same material used to
protect car paint. Buy a die-cut protector made specifically
for your phone (available from ghost-armor.com http://www.ghost-armor.com/), or buy an 18-in. square of the material (available from clearmask.com http://clearmask.com/) and cut it yourself. The 18-in. square sheet is
enough to make screen protectors for the whole
family and the neighbors.

#4 Flashlight
(iPhone & Android) FREE
The app turns on the camera’s
LEDs (if equipped) or lights up
the screen. It’s not as bright as
a four-cell flashlight, but it’s
bright enough to help you find
something in the dark.

Pull up detailed information instantly

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Snap and learn more

Pull up the QR app and
frame the code. Then get
really smart, really fast.

You’re starting to see quirky-looking Quick Response (QR) codes
(also known as “snap tags”) in magazine ads and on some products.
Pretty soon they’ll be on everything. The code is actually a
shortcut to a specific Web page. So if you want to learn more
about a product, you don’t have to boot up the phone’s browser
and then enter a long URL. All you need is a free QR app. Frame
the QR code in the camera and the phone does the rest—you
don’t even have to press the shutter.

Get the right part

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Take the important data with you

Set the smartphone’s camera to shoot
at the highest resolution. Snap a photo
of the model/serial number nameplate.
take your phone to the parts store and
display the nameplate photo on the
screen. The parts guy will love you for it.

The appliance (auto, plumbing,
computer) parts store always
seems to ask for the one piece
of information you didn’t write
down. So shoot a photo of the
entire appliance nameplate and
take it with you. Sure, you can do
that with any camera phone. But
can you read the numbers on that
tiny 2-in. screen? Nope. A smartphone
screen is much larger and lets
you zoom in to read smaller information.

Tools & Materials List

Required Tools for this Project

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.

All you need is a smartphone and a holster or case.

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.